Alcohol and Sleep

Does Alcohol Help You Sleep?

Alcohol is a sedative, which means it can make you feel relaxed and drowsy shortly after drinking. Many people use alcohol to help themselves fall asleep faster, and research confirms that drinking before bed can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep — at least initially. Trusted Source Korean Journal of Family Medicine View Source

However, the same chemical effects that make alcohol feel calming at first also disrupt normal sleep patterns later in the night. As the body metabolizes alcohol, it interferes with communication between neurotransmitters that regulate sleep and wakefulness. This leads to lighter, more fragmented sleep and frequent awakenings, especially during the second half of the night when blood alcohol levels begin to drop.

“Alcohol and sleep are not friends. They do not mix well.”

Abhinav Singh, MD, MPH, FAASM

Sleep Medicine Physician, MD

How Does Alcohol Affect Sleep?

How much alcohol you drink and when you drink it can both influence sleep. As you consume alcohol, it’s rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream, where it remains until your liver is able to metabolize it, typically at a rate of about one drink per hour. If you have alcohol in your bloodstream when you go to sleep, you’re likely to experience alterations in sleep architecture—that is, how your body cycles through the four stages of sleep.

The typical sleep cycle begins with three non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages of sleep and ends with rapid eye movement (REM). During sleep, the body cycles through all of these stages every 90 to 120 minutes, with NREM sleep dominating the first part of the night and REM increasing during the second part of the night. Each stage is necessary for sleep to feel refreshing and for vital processes like learning and memory consolidation to occur.

When you go to bed with alcohol in your system, you’re likely to experience more N3 sleep—known as “deep sleep”—and less REM sleep than usual, at least initially. Later in the night, once your body has metabolized the alcohol, you’re likely to experience a rise in N1 sleep, the lightest stage of sleep. This can lead to frequent wakings and fragmented, low-quality sleep. Trusted Source Handbook of Clinical Neurology View Source

Can Alcohol Cause Sleep Problems?

In addition to altering your sleep architecture, alcohol can disrupt your sleep by interfering with contributing to sleep disorders and interfering with circadian rhythms. Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source Alcohol’s effects on sleep can be both acute—that is, immediate—and chronic, affecting heavy drinkers in the long term.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

For people who snore or who have sleep apnea—a disorder that causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep—drinking alcohol tends to aggravate symptoms. Trusted Source Sleep Medicine View Source

Consuming alcohol causes physiological changes that affect snorers and people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs when tissues in the nose or throat collapse and temporarily obstruct the airway. For example, alcohol causes tongue and throat muscles to relax. It also causes changes to blood vessels in the nose, leading to greater airway resistance in the nasal passages. These alterations significantly increase Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source the likelihood and duration of breathing events during sleep.

Alcohol also affects people with central sleep apnea (CSA), which occurs when the brain periodically stops sending certain signals involved in breathing. Alcohol interferes with the brain’s ability to receive chemical messages involved in breathing, which decreases the body’s respiratory drive and increases the likelihood of pauses in breathing. Trusted Source Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source

People with alcohol in their systems are also generally harder to wake, which means that they’re less likely to experience “arousals” that help them recover from OSA- and CSA-related pauses in breathing.

Insomnia

Heavy alcohol use can contribute to the development of insomnia, a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. As many as three quarters of people with alcohol dependence experience insomnia symptoms when they drink. Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source Insomnia is also very common in people who are in withdrawal or early recovery from alcohol addiction.

While heavy alcohol use can trigger insomnia, the opposite is also true. People with insomnia have an increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder, potentially because many individuals turn to alcohol as a sleep aid.

For people with alcohol dependence and insomnia, a destructive pattern can develop: Individuals drink alcohol at bedtime to help them fall asleep, but they end up sleeping poorly for much of the night. To counteract the excessive sleepiness they feel during the day, they rely on caffeine—but this makes it hard to fall asleep at bedtime, and the cycle begins again.

Circadian Rhythm Disruptions

Alcohol use and dependence appear to interfere with circadian rhythms—biological patterns that operate on a 24-hour clock. Evidence suggests that consuming alcohol may decrease the body’s sensitivity to cues, like daylight and darkness, which trigger shifts in body temperature and secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin. These fluctuations play a vital role in the sleep-wake cycle, and when they are weakened—or absent—a person may feel alert when they want to sleep and sleepy when they want to be awake.

Sleep Paralysis and Other Parasomnias

Alcohol can increase the likelihood of experiencing parasomnias—unusual behaviors or sensations that occur during sleep—such as sleepwalking, vivid dreams, or sleep paralysis. These disturbances occur because alcohol disrupts the brain’s normal regulation of sleep stages, particularly REM sleep, when most dreaming and muscle atonia (temporary paralysis) occur.

Sleep paralysis, which happens when a person wakes up but is temporarily unable to move or speak, can become more common after drinking heavily or inconsistently. Alcohol’s sedative effects can lead to fragmented REM cycles, making it more likely that someone wakes up during this stage and experiences paralysis or hallucinations. Trusted Source Sleep Medicine Reviews View Source

Similarly, alcohol may trigger or worsen other parasomnias, including sleep talking, night terrors, or acting out dreams, by destabilizing the transitions between sleep stages. These effects are more pronounced in people who drink close to bedtime or already have disrupted sleep from conditions like sleep apnea or insomnia.

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When Should I Stop Drinking Before Bed?

Experts recommend that you avoid alcohol for at least three hours before bedtime. That said, some people may benefit from avoiding alcohol for even longer or abstaining altogether. There are many factors that influence how quickly your body can metabolize alcohol and, therefore, the likelihood that alcohol will disrupt your sleep. You may need to stop drinking more than three hours before bedtime if you: 

• Consume multiple drinks over a short period of time
• Drink alcohol on an empty stomach
• Are especially sensitive to the effects of alcohol
• Are sleep deprived 
• Take any medications that intensify the effects of alcohol

It’s also worth noting that the sleep problems caused by alcohol consumption can intensify hangover symptoms. Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source

“Don’t drink away your sleep problems. Seek help sooner.”

Abhinav Singh, MD, MPH, FAASM

Sleep Medicine Physician, MD

What Else Can You Do to Sleep Better?

Limiting alcohol—especially in the hours before bed—is just one part of maintaining healthy sleep. Building consistent habits that support your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle can help you fall asleep more easily and wake up feeling rested.

1. Keep a regular sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
2. Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Wind down before bed with calming activities like reading, stretching, or meditation. Avoid screens and bright lights in the hour before bedtime.
3. Optimize your sleep environment: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Use blackout curtains, earplugs, or white noise if needed. Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillow that support your preferred sleeping position.
4. Watch caffeine and heavy meals: Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and large meals close to bedtime, as both can interfere with your ability to fall and stay asleep.
5. Address underlying sleep problems: If you snore, wake up gasping, or feel exhausted even after a full night’s rest, talk to your doctor. You may have an underlying condition, such as sleep apnea or insomnia.

When Should You See a Doctor?

If alcohol regularly disrupts your sleep or leaves you feeling exhausted during the day, it may be time to talk to a doctor or sleep specialist. Occasional sleep problems after drinking are common, but persistent snoring, frequent awakenings, or unrefreshing sleep could signal an underlying condition such as sleep apnea or insomnia.

You should also seek medical guidance if you experience:

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep even when not drinking
• Morning headaches, dry mouth, or excessive daytime sleepiness
• Gasping or choking during sleep (as reported by a partner)
• Heart palpitations, anxiety, or mood changes after alcohol use
• Trouble reducing alcohol consumption or dependence on alcohol to fall asleep

A healthcare provider can review your symptoms, assess your alcohol use, and recommend safe, effective treatments for improving your sleep. This might include a sleep study, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), or referral to a specialist for alcohol use support if needed.

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